Why Wait for the Next Generation Console
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launch in a few short weeks, with scores of gamers trying to secure their pre-orders ahead of what will surely be a meager holiday stock . It’s easy to get bogged down in a new generation of hype, confusion, cynicism, and anxiety. But here’s the secret: you might be better off waiting to buy your system (s) of your choice.
While I’m sure both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will eventually be notable leaps forward in the gaming industry, the good news is that you don’t need to update just yet. Many people are still unsure if these new consoles are worth upgrading . In fact, most people probably shouldn’t buy any console at launch, even if they can afford it. It’s a good idea to wait at least a few months. That’s why.
You need a really good TV to get the most out of the new consoles
PS5 and Xbox Series X can display games in 4K resolution with HDR, high frame rates and ray traced lighting. Games will certainly look impressive on both consoles, but unless you have a TV or computer monitor that can also support 4K HDR and high refresh rates, a lot of that visual flair will be lost.
Decent 4K TVs are no longer hard to find, but so far only slightly over one-third of all American TV households own 4K TVs . Thus, we can assume that a significant proportion of people playing on next generation consoles will need to buy a new TV along with their new console to see all the benefits.
Buying a new console is costly and in the best of times, but 2020 has seen a deadly pandemic and record natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and snowstorms. Worse, the full force of the economic consequences has just begun to take its toll on us. Paying $ 300-600 for a new console, a few hundred dollars more for a new TV, plus $ 40-70 per game will be a prohibitive package for many. And this is not even adding any additional accessories that you may or may need, such as controllers, headsets, charging stations, cameras, etc. If you wait a bit, you can spread these purchases over time without incurring debt. worth a thousand or more.
Pre-ordering is a nightmare; patience is easy
Between COVID-19 disrupting the economy, reports of manufacturing problems, and unexpected (and random) availability, the PS5 pre- order situation is a mess . Most online pre-orders sell out in seconds, and scalpers pay more than double the price for the console. Launch day shipments and holidays are likely to be small as well.
Hopefully Xbox Series X and S will be easier to buy in advance. Next-gen Xbox models will be available for pre-order on September 22nd for all retailers. They will most likely be sold out in seconds, but at least everyone will have time to get ready.
If you can’t pre-order a new console before launch, the next option is to wait in line for it to go on sale, but I really don’t recommend doing that. Waiting outside for hours in late November – often overnight – is generally a bad idea, but especially during a pandemic.
There will be more PS5 and Xbox once launched, and it will be easier to get them after a few months. The same can be said for Nvidia’s RTX 3080 or any other out-of-the-box hardware you want to get your hands on.
Save yourself the trouble (and the chance of catching a potentially deadly virus) and just wait for the supply levels to return to normal. Many of the games you will play on the new consoles will be available on the hardware you already own.
Yes, you can play most of the next generation games on PS4, Xbox One, or PC.
If you’re struggling to pre-order a new console due to a lack of materials or financial pressures, your PS4 and Xbox One will be able to play many of the biggest new games in 2021, if not longer.
Unlike most console generation leaps in the past, many of the early PS5 and Xbox X series titles will also be on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and even PC day and date.
Native PlayStation 5 games also released on PS4:
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Sackboy: The Big Adventure
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Native Xbox Series X games also released on Xbox One:
- How the twilight falls
- CrossFireX
- Halo infinite
- Psychonauts II (also coming to PS4)
- Saga Senua: Hellblade II
- Tetris Effect: Connected (also coming to PS4 in 2021)
- Dirt
- Note. All in-house games for the Xbox Series X will also be available on PC when launched via Game Pass on PC.
These are just games from third-party developers that can be played on old hardware that we still know about ; the list is based on third-party games for different generations and old PS4 / Xbox One games that are being re-released on new consoles.
Sure, the PS4 / Xbox One versions won’t run as fast on older consoles, and won’t have the 4K, ray tracing, and high frame rates promised by the PS5 and Xbox Seris X, but most of these games can be upgraded to the next. -gen releases are free as soon as you have a new console (just make sure you buy the correct version ).
In any case, there are not many exclusive games.
To be clear, cross-generational support is a smart and consumer-friendly business decision. But it also highlights the biggest challenge both of these next-gen consoles face: the lack of original, console-exclusive games at launch.
From the PS5 starter lineup , only Astro’s Playroom , Demon’s Souls and Destruction All Stars are true PS5 exclusives, while Xbox Series X … nothing. Instead, you can play all Xbox Series X launch games on PC or Xbox One.
Obviously, games will look better on the new consoles, and there will be something to play thanks to the large library of backward compatible games and games from different generations on both platforms. But the whole point of new consoles is in new games that cannot be played anywhere else, and there are not so many of them yet.
If you haven’t sold any of the boxes yet, rest assured you can put off these new consoles, at least until they become more widely available and their libraries grow slightly.